Party enthusiasm--that's what I strive for and when you see it, it just makes the night extra special!

I Recently had the pleasure of playing another night at Spanish Springs Town Square here in The Villages. What a great time with the line dancers and party people (of all ages-this little guy could boogie!) in Florida's Friendliest Hometown.

Here's a shot from a recent wedding in Albany, NY. It's Alecia and her guests and some are REALLY getting down! What fun!

And what a great note from Colleen and Josh about their June 2011 wedding reception!

Kim also posted this on my FB page:Ric Mitchell.Michal and I cannot thank you enough for being such an integral part to making our reception a TRUE Polish PARTY! You are the best DJ ever, and I know we will definitely remember the reception because of the endless entertainment and action on the dance floor. I wish you a safe trip home, and again thank you so much for traveling up the coast for us. We will see you again some time. ♥ MR & MRS P!

Thanks, Kim-I had a blast!The city of Troy, NY hosts the largest Flag Day Parade in the nation and I as so honored that I get to be their announcer in front of 50,000 strong! Here's a shot from this year's parade from the reviewing stand.

Quickly becoming The Villages best-known Mobile Entertainer--DJ, Game Show Host and more! Call me at 352-874-7544. If your group is looking for dancing and musical fun-I'm the guy! From party music to karaoke to all sorts of entertaining stuff. Call and I'll answer any questions! No matter what type of party you're looking for, I can handle it......and make sure to ask about a NEW memory filled night of music and dancing! It'll please everyone!

It was my birthday and some friends surprised me at the Square.Thanks to The Villages Entertainment for the opportunity. Keep checking back to see when I'll be there again!

If you’ve seen one of my brochures, you know I have 12 tips to make your party a slammin’ one! Wanna see them? Click here.

A little while back, I received a frantic call from a mom whose DJ wouldn't return her calls -- and it was a week before the affair!! Calls like this make me shudder not only because you can see guests just kind of sitting there when no one shows up but the mortified family who tried to save a few dollars got a LESS than professional no-show DJ. I took over the party at Longfellows in Saratoga Springs and we had a great time but most importantly, it showed her that a PROFESSIONAL DJ can and should be dependable. She later told me his quoted price for the night and it was obvious why he didn't show. Don't shop a DJ on price alone! Is saving a couple hundred dollars worth a bad party that your guests will remember as just that -- a bad party?

Even had some karaoke fun with the Ladies of Stonecreek, Ocala!

Hosted a Mardi Gras Party recently and it even made the paper!

Your DJ has to be able to competently scan the crowd and determine which music is going to fit. Plus, he or she has to capably deal with several types of persistent attendees to make sure their musical tastes don't overshadow everyone else's.

Thanks to The Villages for their confidence and The Scottish American Society! Nice to be trusted to host these major events!

Ric Mitchell

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Plus, there's a WHOLE bunch of wedding trivia and facts if you scroll down below......see where you and your intended fit in!

I know a lot of what you read here is geared toward weddings but it's the attention I devote to ALL parties I host that prompt notes like this from Taryn and Sean:

LOOK! I was asked to host another fun music event for The Villages!

Game Show partiesare goin' strong--for groups, corporate events, house parties, even for wedding rehearsal dinners! Find out more--click here! See a demo video by clicking here! And, to top things off, I now play "Pop Culture Trivia Teams", which allow groups the chance to break off into teams and work feverishly to come up with the answers and win! Also, just added--"Tune Trivia" and "The Not-So-Newlywed Game"! Be sure to ask about them when you call 352-874-7544 or you can write me here!

Been as busy as ever! How about a couple of fun shots from Kim's wedding in Albany, NY--a great groom's cake and the bride leading the "YMCA"!

Before you look at some trivia, this thank you made my day--it's what I try to do at every reception!

And Jennifer and Ryan for their heartfelt note about their recent wedding:

Ric, I just wanted to let you know what an amazing job you did at my wedding! Thank you so much for everything! Everyone had commented on the dj and said what a fantastic job you did! Thank you again for making our wedding the 2nd best day of our lives!!

Jennifer & Ryan Pechtel

Congrats to ALL the brides and grooms I worked with this year! Whew! What a great season it turned out to be! I do appreciate your extending your trust in me for your special day! It's something I don't take for granted. As I have throughout my career, I look forward to making each reception and party a grand success! Maybe you and I will work together on a future event!

Looking at the overall cost of a Wedding Day, the professional DJ's fee is a small percentage of the total price yet nothing can affect the total outcome of the day like the party portion and the music provided by the DJ.

But, it's not just the music. It's the total overall presentation. The professional way introductions are handled, working with the other wedding professionals and being able to cater the day to all attending. Sometimes I hear people say, "Well, all it is is playing mp3s" or "An iPod would be just as good". Nothing could be further from the truth!

I can't tell you the calls I've received at the last minute from couples frantically telling me their dad's co-worker's wife wants him to go to her mother's for a family function and he's had to back out of their affair... or their cousin who was going to play the music had a chance at a great vacation with his buddies and he decided to do that instead... or, even worse, their Uncle's sound system was no match for the hall the reception was planned at, his music was HIS favorite stuff from the 60s and 70s and featured very little for ALL the guests. There's more on this site--look around and find some valuable tips to make your party a GREAT one!

Oh, and my Game Show parties have begun and are really taking off....get more info here. These can even be held for your wedding rehearsal dinner and I can tailor the questions around the bride and groom. How much does your family know about you and your fiance????

THE AVERAGE WEDDING NOW COSTS…

If you're the father of the bride, you might want to look for a second job. The average cost of a wedding is $26,984--and that's if you're lucky. And that doesn't even count the honeymoon. It could be worse: Fully 20 percent of brides spend more than $30,000 on their wedding, while 12 percent spend more than $40,000. That's the word from the fourth annual survey by TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com of nearly 19,000 U.S. brides who were married in 2010.

• Average number of guests: 141• Average amount spent per guest: $194• Destination weddings: 24 percent• Age of the bride: 29• Age of the groom: 30• Number of bridesmaids and groomsmen: 4• Length of the engagement: 14 months• Most popular engagement month: December• Most popular wedding month: June• Most popular wedding color: white/ivory

Interesting regional differences:

Age: New York City has the oldest brides (32 years), compared with West Texas, which has the youngest brides (24 years), on average.

Engagements: Northeast brides have the longest engagements (15.5 months), while brides from Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi have the shortest (12 months), on average.

Wedding Size: On average, Nebraska and Iowa brides have the largest number of wedding guests (213 and 200, respectively), and Hawaii and Nevada have the smallest number of wedding guests (82 and 59, respectively).

Wedding Style: Hawaii has the most casual weddings, while New Jersey has the most formal (black-tie) weddings.

Registry: Brides in Ohio, Kansas and Minnesota are the most likely to register for wedding gifts (96 percent).

Also, thanks to The Villages' Daily Sun for the great piece about my long radio career in the Albany, NY marketplace. Now, after 41 years on air, I look ahead to a new challenge and new opportunities!

Wanna thank a fun group from the Village of Santo Domingo in The Villages for asking me to host their New Year's Eve block party! Nothin's better than a pleasent night, dancin' in the driveway and a move into 2012 with a charging Locomotion train! Call me if your group likes to have fun--352-874-7544!

Welcome

Also, had a busy holiday season and thanks to all the groups for the fun and the energy-including the ladies of Sanibel!

Holidays mean Holiday Parties and I hosted a LOT of them this season and I received a nice note from Maggie in Tamarind Grove:

Hi, Ric,I just wanted to send a quick email thanking you for providing such an entertaining evening for the Tamarind Grove Poolside event Dec. 8. You were 'right on' with the music getting people into the spirit with the sing a long and then up and out on the dance floor with tunes they obviously enjoyed. We have received so many wonderful comments and you are named in them all. Plus, people are really excited about your Extreme Bingo next month. (That's a new game I do and you can get more at TheGameShowMan.com)Just wanted you to know how much we appreciate your DJ skills and how they provided such a wonderful night for our members.Thanks again,Maggie I love to see people having a good time at parties, weddings and more! Good time with good friends!